Five years ago, TikToker Ariella Steinhorn (@aristeinhorn) was invited to the island of St. Barts. A friend of hers was dating a wealthy tech guy with connections to a billionaire, and he was throwing his birthday party on the island.
Before she arrived, Ariella’s friend texted her, saying that this billionaire was no longer with his girlfriend and had sent her home because he thought she was cheating. The friend wrote that she was curious to know what Ariella thought of him.
“I show up, and no one was curious to hear what I thought of him,” said Ariella. “In fact, it was pretty much assumed that I was his property.”
“When I arrived, I was immediately disturbed by him. He had no apparent personality or warmth. Even his eyes almost appeared totally black and devoid of emotion, so I was not interested.”
A woman, who was the wife of one of the billionaire tech guy’s friends, tried to get Ariella and the billionaire to hook up. At one point, they were all sitting around the pool.
The billionaire was so drunk that he couldn’t even string two words together. He lunged toward Ariella in an attempt to kiss her, but she deflected his advances.
“I just remember this woman being around us, trying to make it happen, trying to encourage us to get together,” Ariella recalled.
“Ultimately, at one point, it got so bad that he started chasing me, and I had to lock myself in the bathroom. He was banging, trying to bang down the door to the bathroom.”
The woman was a lawyer who did estate planning for the ultra-wealthy, so she definitely supported the world and lifestyles of the very rich. The whole experience taught Ariella that the elites only think about fulfilling their own pleasures.
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They wanted the birthday boy, who was the wealthiest of them all, to have his pleasure first. Everyone else came next. They seemed to believe that girls existed for the purpose of entertainment, distraction, and pleasure.
It’s also difficult to get on and off St. Barts since there is no direct flight. That one glimpse into their lives allowed Ariella to understand how traffickers’ minds work.
They don’t see others as human beings, and they only exist to serve them. Ariella is no longer friends with the person who invited her to the island.
In the comments section, several TikTok users praised Ariella for what she had overcome.
“Wow. Your story is important, and you are not just a piece of meat. You’re a person with hopes and dreams and a right to bodily autonomy like anyone else,” commented one user.
“To clarify, St. Barts was not Epstein’s island. He owned Little St. James. St. Barts is a public Caribbean island that anyone can visit. I’m so sorry that happened to you. Your friend should never have put you in that situation, and it’s good to hear that you’re no longer friends with her,” wrote another.
“Thank you for sharing your story! Happy you were able to make it out alive,” stated a third.
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
